Bright idea wins government grant

IMAGINE being able to use sunlight to light your house or business every day at no cost and with zero emissions.

It may sound impossible but one Ipswich business is well on the way to doing just that.

Lance Stewart, owner of Creative Lighting and Sound Systems at North Ipswich, is working on a system to combine solar lighting with artificial lighting to reduce energy consumption.

The concept has secured Mr Stewart's business a $42,000 State Government grant as part of the "What's Your Big Idea Queensland?" initiative.

The grant will help Mr Stewart install 14 new solar tubes at his North Ipswich business as part of an experiment to drive down energy consumption from artificial light while still maintaining a quality lit environment.